A traffic complaint on Hwy. 401 has led to the seizure of millions of dollars in contraband tobacco and charges against a Puslinch Township man.
According to OPP, officers from the Lennox and Addington County Detachment responded to a report of a speeding tractor-trailer on eastbound Hwy. 401 near Shannonville Road around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15.
Shortly afterward, officers from the Frontenac detachment stopped the truck near Joyceville Road. The vehicle was escorted to the Ministry of Transportation inspection station in Gananoque for a routine safety check. Due to concerns with documentation and cargo, an inspection was conducted, reported OPP.
Inside the trailer, police said they found over 17,820 kilograms of fine-cut contraband tobacco with an estimated value of $4.4 million. OPP reported the illegal load represents a combined federal and provincial tax loss of about $9.1 million.
As a result of the investigation, police said 60-year-old Joga Singh Dhillon, of Puslinch Township, near Cambridge, has been charged with trafficking in contraband tobacco.
This charge has not been proven in court.
He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Kingston on Sept. 2, 2025.
The investigation is ongoing and involves officers from the Frontenac Detachment, OPP Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team, and the Ministry of Transportation.
Police continue to remind the public that tips from concerned citizens often lead to major enforcement actions.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)